Tougher than the Terminator (and with nearly as many car accidents!), the Balg once more strides through the dungeons with his Uzi 9mm in search of adventure problems!
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Reviews
Smirking Horror
£2 cassette, £4 disc.
WoW Software, 78 Radipole Lane, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 9RS.
Not being very academic (I know the feeling! - Balg), you just couldn't believe the news that you'd been accepted by the best college in America - PUE Tech! With the grades you received you would have been lucky to get in at Leeds University but, with all the disappearances, suicides and bizarre occurrences that have recently happened at PUE Tech, they were a bit short on applications and you got lucky!
The first term has flown by and the suicides have increased. The
locals are reporting more strange disturbances and in recent weeks
the atmosphere has been very tense. This doesn't trouble you much
- you spend little time at the college at night anyway, and even
less in the day so you don't think about it.
Unfortunately you have spent all term partying and it's finally
caught up with you - you've got to get an assignment written by
tomorrow or else you're in real trouble! To make matters worse
there's a raging blizzard outside...
Don't worry folks! The Balg hasn't lost his sanity to Cthulhu
and started reviewing old Infocom games again! Smirking Horror,
by Jason Davis, is a parody of one of my favourite adventures,
Lurking Horror. Whilst Jason's previous game, Yarkon Blues, was
amusing and received a good review in AA70,
the Balg had reservations about Smirking - how could GAC possible
hope to imitate an infocom? However, although no where near as
large or technically impressive as Lurking, Smirking has it's
own attractions.
The map in places is very similar to the original - there's the
eternal corridor, great dome, alchemy department (complete with
requisite pentagram) and the good old terminal labs. Many of the
puzzles initially appear the same as in Lurking - the creature
still lives in the dome and the floor cleaner (Arthur) still won't
let you pass but at least they are solved differently. In fact
parts of the game are so similar to the original that it's a good
job that Infocom are no longer around else WoW might have found
itself in legal trouble!
Amusing in places and atmospheric in others, the game is well
thought out with logical puzzles. As with many GAC games it suffers
from minor parser problems in some locations (you have to stab
something and wedge something else but the verbs hit and jam are
not accepted - this can lead to a misleading response), but the
Balg didn't have too many troubles.
Overall Smirking is a good game, well worth the asking price.
You'll be disappointed if you expect it to be on a par with Lurking
Horror, but it's actually quite good... Just watch out for Cthulhu!
Atmosphere 69%
Interaction 63%
Challenge 61%
Overall 70%
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Honorary Balrog
Yep! It's honorary Balrog time again! This time the award
goes to a lady who many people may not have heard of but they
probably will have played one of the games she has been involved
with. Lorna Patterson HBalg, come on down! Lorna is one of the
many unsung heroes of the adventure scene - a playtester. Through
the past two and a half years she has playtested over fifty games
for the CPC and spectrum machines including Magnetic Moon,
The Spiro Legacy, The Test,
Yarkon Blues and this month's Smirking
Horror. Lorna plays each game an average of three times and puts
a lot of time and effort into tracking down those obscure (and
not so obscure!) bugs and spelling mistakes!
Well done Lorna - you deserve it!
If you have any suggestions for Honorary Balrog then jot them
down and send them to the Balg at the usual address. Only totally
dedicated adventurers are worthy of such an accolade - it shows
that you have worked hard to advance the name of the adventure
on the Amstrad as well as other machines.
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Balrog's Postbag
The Balg was pleased to receive another sack full of
letters yesterday - keep them coming! All letters, even if not
printed, are read and digested (literally!) and it's good to keep
in touch with you all! The Balg regrets that I cannot accept adverts
for software sale - please put that in the small ads section.
Old adventures still for sale?
Dear Balrog,
I should like to ask whether it would be possible for details
of any Software Companies, still holding copies of old adventures,
to be published in your column. As you will be aware, there are
no new adventures for the Amstrad computers other than those available
through PD libraries or the home brew games advertised in such
magazines as Adventure Probe. I have spoken to several mail order
software companies asking if they have any old adventures gathering
dust on a shelf somewhere but I have had little luck in this respect.
You may, of course, have no more information than me, but I'm
sure that if you were able to investigate through Amstrad Action
and publish a list of any outlets discovered holding copies of
such games, there would be many people such as me who would be
very grateful.
Peter Clark, Suffolk
Mark Eltringham wrote an article for the January, February and
March editions of Spellbreaker called 'Adventures available for
the Amstrad' - some notable addresses from that article to try
are:-
Atlas, 67 Lloyd Street, Llandudno, Gwynedd LL30 2BN. Tel: (0492)
77305
Tony Kingsmill, 202 Park St Lane, Park St, St Albans, Herts 2AQ.
Level 9: PO Box 39, Weston-super-Mare, Avon BS24 9UR. Tel: (0934)
814450. Fax: (0703) 331523
Recreation Re-created, 39 Gargle Hill, Thorpe St Andrew, Norwich,
Norfolk NR7 0XX. Tel: (0603) 31678.
Topologika: PO Box 39, Stilton, Peterborough PE7 3RL. Tel: (0733)
244682
WoW Software, 78 Radipole Lane, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 9RS.
If anyone knows of any more companies that sell old adventures
then please write in.
Help wanted!
...About 2-3 years ago we bought some second-hand tape
games for our 6128, one of which was a two tape compilation called
'Power Plays', produced by a company called 'The Power House'.
On these tapes were two adventure games called 'Nocturne' and
'Wrath of Olympus'. Even though there were no instructions or
information booklets, they are extremely playable games.
Since we started taking (you mean buying I hope! - Balg) your
AA magazine, (which is a damn sight better than your rival) we
have never come across any mention of these games either in your
articles/hints/tips or from any of your Lords and Ladies of Adventure.
Have you ever come across them and if so any help would be appreciated...
John & Carol Park
Sorry John & Carol, but I've looked through my files of tips
and searched through all the Lords and Ladies and found no-one
who can help you. However, using the brilliant Adventure list
from Mark Eltringham, I see that both games were written by Charles
Sharpe - if Mr Sharpe or someone else would like to send some
tips in, I am sure the Park's would be appreciative!
Doomdark Question
Dear Balrog,
Was the sequel to Doomdarks Revenge, 'The Eye of the Moon' ever
released?
A Osborne
No!
CP/M query
Dear Balrog,
Is the CP/M Plus ROM still available, because I would like to
use my ROMBO ROM box and put CP/M in socket 0, so that it will
boot up instead of BASIC 1.1. If it is, please could you tell
me where to get it from, and how much will it cost?
Andrew Gatward
Sorry Andrew, but what's this got to do with Adventures?! However
the company who make the CP/M plus ROM are also the same makers
of the adventure writer ADLAN so here's
their address:-
Graduate Software: 14 Forrester Avenue, Weston-on-Trent, Derby
DE7 2HX or telephone (0332) 702993.
Quill query...
Dear Balrog
...Could you tell me where I can get a copy of Gilsoft's "Quill"?...
Richard O'Hare, Southport
Certainly, try Gilsoft at 2 Park Crescent, Barry, South Glamorgan
CF6 8HD or telephone (0446) 732765.
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Cluepot
Thanks this month go to Thomas Christie, Fred Collins, Alistair Crook,
Adrian Forbes, Jay Honosutomo, Amir Mansour, R Melody and Edmund Spicer for
a impressive selection of clues and tips.
Adventure Quest
Give orchid to unicorn.
Bloodwych
When you kill someone and they drop what they were holding
and you don't really need it, then pick it up so that it is in
your transfer slot, then cast SUMMON, ILLUSION or similar, then
sell the item to the creature that's created. Or you can worm
food out of them as suggested in a previous tip in AA. This works
best in a dead end so the creature can't run away.
Gems of Stradus
Wear stilts to avoid the creatures.
Ingrid's Back - Part 2
Push the troll down through the trapdoor then use the
bag of flour to keep the door shut.
Give cider to Chugg.
Put the deeds under the gap when Silas catches you.
Island
Look under clothes in mates' cabin.
Get the card from your cabin.
Open the parrot's cage.
Move the junk in the store-room.
Look under the Landrover.
Talisman of Power
Kiss the barmaid to get the oars.
At the end, rub the talisman and throw it at Orsova.
Terrormolinos
Examine menu, order, eat sludge, eat pills.
Well adventure
When in the well, shout.
Give honey to barmaid.
Hit well wall with hammer.
Zork
II
The answer to the riddle is 'well'.
Take the dragon to the ice room.
*********************************************************************
MAP OF PLANETFALL
BY
DAVE HAVARD, FAREHAM
*********************************************************************
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Clue Cauldron
Heavy on the Magick
Following Heavy
on the Magick being on the covertape last month, the Balg has
decided to provide some tips for all those budding Axils lost
in the magical dungeons beneath Collodon's Pile.
A map was printed in AA11 for Heavy on the Magick, and for those
who haven't been buying AA for that long, here's part of it (if
the demand is great enough, the Balg will print the rest in later
issues).
**********************************************************************
HAVE STARTING LEVEL MAP FROM AA11
**********************************************************************
Other tips appeared in issues 64, 65
and 70 but, for those who haven't got those
issues handy, I've reprinted some of the tips here:-
At the start do not pick up the book of spells as it is smeared
with poison.
One of the keys found in methos unlocks the door in the room of
horns.
When invoking a demon, put the talisman by an exit or wall and
go to the other side of the room.
The jar in the chest past the fire in the sothic complex is a
hemlock.
The heads in methos are smeared with poison and they might be
needed in the kitchen of ai to call him, so make sure you have
a lot of stamina!
To pass the fountain in the rook of Hydra west from the Grimoire
type "Water, fall". It will lower itself and you can
pass.
The Bag of Gold is used to open the Troll's doors.
The loaf and bone with meat can both be used to give extra stamina
and the foot can be used for extra luck.
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Lords & Ladies of Adventure
Another six brave lords and ladies of adventure offer
their knowledge and experiences to fellow adventurers. Remember
to send a stamped SAE when writing and to call within sociable
hours.
Adult II, Black Fountain, Black Knight, Boggit, Boredom, Can I
Cheat Death?, Case of the Mixed-Up Shymer, Dungeon, DAA, Doomlords,
Firestone, Forest at World's End, Ghost House, Hobbit, Jason and
the Argonauts, Jewels of Babylon, Labarinth, Magician's Apprentice,
Nite Time, Prison Blues, Quest, Roog, Scary Tales, Seabase Delta,
Spacy, Tizpan & Welladay.
Simon 'Spud-Stomper' Avery, 71 Fore St, Chudleigh, Newton Abbot,
South Devon TQ13 OHT.
Hitchhiker's Guide, Leather Goddesses, Lurking Horror & Moonmist.
Ken Dean, 63 Elmhurst Avenue, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk
NR32 3AR.
Aftershock, Brawn Free, Cacodemon, Case of the Mixed-Up Shymer,
DAA, Espionage Island, Experience, Fantasia Diamond, Forest at
World's End, Frankenstein, Grange Hill, Haunted House, Heroes
of Karn, Imagination, Inca Curse, Kobyashi Naru, Lancelot, Loosed
Orc, Lords of Time, Message from Andromeda, Mindshadow, Pirates,
Planet of Death, Quest for the Golden Egg-cup, Rigel's Revenge,
Seabase Delta, Ship of Doom, Spytrek, Subsunk, Terrormolinos,
Three Weeks in Paradise, Trial of Arnold Blackwood & Warlord.
Debby Howard, 10 Overton Road, Abbey Wood, London SE2 9SD.
Apache Gold, Atalan, Base, Bestiary, Black Knight, Boggit, Bored
of the Rings, Castle Blackstar, Castle of the Skull Lord, City
for Ransom, Classic Adventure, Colour of Magic, Cursed Be the
City, Dodgy Geezers, Dracula, DAA, Escape from Koshima, Espionage
Island, Fantasia Diamond, 4th Protocol, Gremlins, Grue-Knapped,
Guild of Thieves, Heavy on the Magick, Helvera, Hobbit, Hunchback,
Imagination, Inca Curse, Island, Jinxter, Kentilla, Kobyashi Naru,
Mindfighter, Mindshadow, Mordon's Quest,ÉMountains of Ket,
Mystery of the Indus Valley, Necris Dome, Never Ending Story,
Not a Penny More Not a Penny Less, Nova, Panic Beneath the Sea,
Pawn, Planet of Death, Project Annihilation, Project Volcano,
QOR, Quest for the Golden Egg-cup, Questprobe 3, Rigel's Revenge,
Robocide, Scary Tales, Seabase Delta, Seas of Blood, Smashed,
Smuggler's Cove, Souls of Darkon, Spiro Legacy, Spytrek, Star
Wreck, Subsunk, Sydney Affair, Terrormolinos, Test, Top Secret,
Vera Cruz Affair, Very Big Cave Adventure, Village of Lost Souls
& most Topologika, some Infocom, ALL Level 9, Interceptor
and WoW games!
Joan Pancott HPilg, 78 Radipole Lane, Weymouth, Dorset
DT4 9RS. Tel: (0305) 784155 Any day - 1pm to 10pm.
Colour of Magic, DAA, 4th Protocol, Gems of Stradus, Not a Penny
More Not a Penny Less, Return to Eden, Scary Tales & Vera
Cruz Affair.
William Conlon, 171 Mulvey Park, Dundrum, Dublin 14, Ireland.
Forest at World's End, Kobyashi Naru, Message from Andromeda,
Quest for the Golden Egg-cup, Rigel's Revenge, Snowball &
Venom.
Bill Bennett, 171 Stapleton Hall Road, London N4. Tel: (081) 340
3884.
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Programming with the Balrog
For a long time the Balg has been praising the power
of Gilsoft's PAW and the unlimited possibilities of the EXTERN
command (this allows you to import your own machine code routines
- for example, graphics or sound). Unfortunately the EXTERN command
isn't easy to use - you need to know quite a lot about machine
code to make the most of it. Aron Watson from New Zealand has
been hacking away and brings to us the following routine. Now
that Aron has shown how to use EXTERN, perhaps more budding machine
coders could add to the PAW? Take it away Aron:-
This EXTERN routine is a simple, unambitious program but it should
show other authors how they too can use the EXTERN command for
their own PAW games. It allows you to choose the screen colours.
You will need an assembler/monitor (eg Maxam II or Devpac). Enter
Fig.1 into your game, for example, the start of your intro sequence.
Then compile it and then create your finished game.
Fig. 1
------
/PRO 1
_ _ EXTERN 0
You will also have to find out where your game finishes in memory
so you can set the ORG in Fig.2. Now, using the assembler, enter
Fig.2. Assemble it, save it, then using your monitor, load your
finished game at &100. Load your newly assembled code exactly
after the game in memory. Then change the EXTERN vector at &106
from JP &000 to JP <address of new m/c routine>. Then
save the whole thing out to disc. Now run your game and all should
(hopefully!) work...
Fig. 2
------
ORG <address after game in memory>
LD DE,SETPAPER.
LD C,9
CALL &0005
LD DE,SETPEN.
LD C,9
CALL &0005
RET
SETPEN. DEFB &1B,&62,&?? ; Change ??'s to desired
SETPAPER. DEFB &1B,&63,&?? ; number (&00-&FF)
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Contacting the Balg
The Balg is desperate for new contributions to the Cluepot
and Just for Laughs sections - to get in contact with him, write
to The Balrog, Amstrad Action, Future Publishing Ltd, Beauford
Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, AVON BA1 2AP.